Donald Trump should be kicked out of his Scottish golf courses and have them handed over to the community, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales has said.
Zack Polanski is in Glasgow campaigning with Scottish Greens ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
The party leader was asked about NATO and the UK’s relationship with Donald Trump and the USA.
GT Election logo (Image: Newsquest)
He said it was not Green Party policy but he is in favour of stripping the US president of his businesses in Scotland as punishment for “starting illegal wars”.
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Polanski said: “It’s not for me to tell Scotland what to do but I’d really like to see Donald Trump kicked out of his golf courses.
“I don’t think that, you know, you should be able to start illegal and unpopular wars and still have golf courses.
“And actually, I’d love to see those golf courses brought into community ownership. As I said, that’s just a personal opinion.”
Zack Polanski (Image: Newsquest)
He added: “It seems outrageous that Donald Trump’s still able to enjoy those golf courses.”
Sarah Malone, Executive Vice President, Trump International, Scotland, said: “The comments in relation to our golf courses in Scotland are frankly ludicrous and ignorant and made by a man who is an imbecile.”
Polanski also said the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and USA is not what is purported to be.
He said: “This idea that Donald Trump and the United States we have a special relationship with them or they’re in some way our ally, I just don’t think stands up to any scrutiny.
“By the way, it’s not just Donald Trump. I think there’s been problematic presidents for a long time, but I think Donald Trump is the clearest indication you can get when he goes out on a true social one day and says that he intends to wipe out an entire civilization.
“And then we don’t get a word of condemnation from that from our Prime Minister on the same day, yet he can post about Wireless Festival. It starts to seem a little bit odd of this relationship.
Polanski said the UK needs to start building an alternative to NATO.
He added: “Donald Trump, who has a massive amount of disproportionate power in NATO, has said that he wants to annex Greenland, something the Danish Prime Minister has said that they think he absolutely intends to be.
“And no one who even backs NATO has ever been able to give a coherent answer about what happens when one NATO country starts to attack another NATO country because of an attack on one is meant to be an attack on all.
“At the same time, I think Brexit is one of the biggest disasters that has faced the UK, and I know Scotland in particular, was dragged out against its will.
“It’s been a disaster for social reasons, economic reasons, and indeed in our security. So, my position would be to build closer alliances with our European neighbours.
“I think we clearly need to build better relationships with them.
So, my personal position is to build that better relationship right now, and then when the time is right, because we’ve built that alternative alliance to withdraw from NATO.”